Phillies Offseason Talk

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Burrell for Manny, Clement, and $20 mill.  Get it done!

[JTrotter Fan]

Does it really matter what the Phils do anymore, cuz they sure as hell aren't gonna challenge the Braves for the division.  You might as well just hope for 2006 NFL training camp...especially if you are worried about some dumb article written by Screamin Stephen.

[SD_Eagle5]

Bye Bye Pratt

Press Release

Catcher Sal Fasano has agreed to a contract with the Phillies, Assistant General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. announced this afternoon. He signed a one-year deal for $425,000 plus performance bonuses.

"Fasano has always been a quality receiver with a lot of energy," said Amaro. "He will be a good complement to Mike Lieberthal.  He's a winning player which is the kind of character we are trying to bring to our big club."

Fasano, a free agent, played the majority of the 2005 season with the Baltimore Orioles after beginning the season at triple-A Ottawa. A career back-up catcher, he appeared in more major league games with the Orioles last year (64) than he had in any season since a career-best 74 in 1998. He also hit a career-best 11 home runs last year in just 160 at-bats.

The 35-year-old began his career in 1993 with the Kansas City Royals organization. He has played in the majors in parts of eight seasons with the Royals (1996-99, 2001), Oakland Athletics (2000-01), Colorado Rockies (2001), Anaheim Angels (2002) and Orioles (2005). He did not play professionally in 2003.

Fasano, a Chicago native, has a career .988 fielding percentage at catcher and has caught 31 percent of runners attempting to steal (53-173) in his career.

With the addition of Fasano, the Phillies' 40-man winter roster stands at 39 players

[MDS]

i love me sum fassano

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Sal Fasano = Championship

[MDS]

according to jayson stark, phils are close to signing tom gordon. probably 3 years 18 mil.

[NGM]

NL East blurb from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark

Philadelphia Phillies

First, the good news: Other clubs have been amazed by what a good deal Gillick was able to make for Thome -- without even having to take him to spring training to prove he's healthy.

"To not even pay half of Thome's money [$22 million of his $46 million], to get a good player like [Aaron] Rowand and to get two good left-handed prospects [Gio Gonzalez and Daniel Haigwood], I don't blame Pat for not hesitating in taking that deal," an official of one AL team said. "He didn't call the Twins back. He didn't call any other teams back. He had to do this deal before [White Sox GM] Kenny Williams changed his mind. I still can't believe Kenny threw in those two left-handers. He must have had blinders on with Thome."

OK, but now the bad news: The Phillies lost more than just two big names with the exits of Thome and Wagner. They lost two guys who, only a couple of years ago, were throwing electric bolts into their fan base unlike any players who have passed through Philadelphia since Leonard K. Dykstra and Darren Daulton.

So although the Phillies might have emerged with much more financial flexibility than they'd have had if they had tied up $24 million in Thome and Wagner, and though Gillick is inventive enough to fill many a hole, how do they replace the buzz, the magnetism of the players they've lost?

Thome's replacement, Ryan Howard, might bring that aura. But Wagner, in almost every way, is irreplaceable.

"They made a serious misjudgment not being more aggressive in signing Wagner before he hit the market," one front-office man said. "If [team president] Dave Montgomery didn't let them go three years on him in the summer, he was making a big, big mistake. If Billy Wagner was really saying, 'I'll sign for three years and $24 million,' their answer should have been, 'Where do we sign?'"

[MDS]

is it any surprise monty and wade farged that one up?

[Rome]

Bullshtein.  No way did Wagner say he'd sign for 3 years & 24 million.



No farging way.  Where do these nonsensical rumors start anyway?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

according to jayson stark, phils are close to signing tom gordon. probably 3 years 18 mil.

So, they won't sign a 34-year-old to a 4-year deal, but they'll sign a 38-year-old to a 3-year deal.  w0ot.


As for Wagner, he did CLAIM that he would have signed for 3/$24m in the summer, but the Phillies are claiming that as soon as they offered it, he upped his demands to 3/$27m.  Then, they offered that, and he upped them again.  He wanted to be a free agent all along.  Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.

Either way, you can't blame Gillick for losing Wagner.  You can blame Monty/Wade/Amaro/Wagner/Stringfellow...
...but not Gillick.

[MDS]

nobody blames gillick, well except for mishandling of the catcher situation. loserthal=teh suck

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

It's not as if Bengie Molina or Ramon Hernandez are the hard-core shtein, though.

BTW, I forgot... Gordon also has location, and Wagner only has velocity.  That's why Gordon will still be sittin' 'em down in the top of the 9th at CBP at the ripe age of 41.  HA!

[Geowhizzer]

nobody blames gillick, well except for mishandling of the catcher situation. loserthal=teh suck

Didn't have a choice with Lieberthal.  The option was vested.  Who would take him at 7 or 8 or whatever millions the year is for?

[MDS]

well also, gordon comes cheaper than wagner. and there was no way the phillies were matching a deal like wagner got. gordon will probably still be effective at 41, just not worth 6 million. however, gillick is desperate to get a closer at this point. in fact, these guys left are the only decent relievers on the market. so even if gillick went into the season with madson or tejeda as the closer, he would need to get a proven arm somewhere in there. gordon, hoffman and wickman are the only ones left. if you get one of those guys, you might as well give them the closers job. and, you have to overpay.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

and, you have to overpay.

Yeah, no one's really going to ignore that the record contract for a closer was eclipsed twice in the last couple weeks.

Oh well.  I still think we need another good starting pitcher, somehow, and also another quality reliever.